- A Glass Apart is a complete guide to the profiles, production, history, and revival of Irish pot still whiskey- Beautifully illustrated work on the history and production of Ireland's national drink--of interest to casual drinkers and connoisseurs alikeAdored by the Victorians, forged by bootleggers, forgotten by the 50s and tragically tied to Ireland's ghost town landscape of disused distilleries, "single pot still" whiskey has had an almost romantic mystique for many world whiskeyphiles as the endangered sister of the single malt and the unsung spine of Ireland's own distilling heritage. Although once the most popularly esteemed whiskey in the record-keeping world, Ireland's history and politics resulted in the near annihilation of the national spirit and, by the 1980s, the full-bodied oils and gingery spices that first put both Ireland and whiskey itself at the top table of global drinks had been swept into the closet by marketed promises of super-smooth blending and easily palatable Irish charm. But that's all thankfully begun to change. Forget everything you were told about "light Irish" delicacy.After decades of outspoken adoration from critics, bloggers, global drammers and a few devoted Irish distillers, single pot still has at last sprung back from the casket of bartending curiosa and taken its rightful place among the most awarded spirits in contemporary distilling. A Glass Apart: Irish Pot Still Whiskey is an introduction and a love letter to the history, craft, and diversity of Ireland's re-awoken firewater phoenix that will delight both longtime tipplers and curious novices with a longer look at Ireland's most uniquely Irish whiskey.
About the Author: Fionnán O'Connor tasted his first glass of Green Spot in a pub in Galway 10 years ago and has spent an excessive number of subsequent evenings trying to uncover what exactly made that tipple so bewilderingly delicious. He has travelled extensively across the distilleries of Ireland and Scotland and has a particular affection for Islay scotch, American rye, and, of course, Irish single pot still. As an English major, he taught classes on The History and Appreciation of Whisky through UC Berkeley's Celtic Studies department while working as a brand ambassador for the Bushmills single malts and running seminars on whiskey appreciation through the legendary San Francisco cocktail bar Bourbon & Branch. He has since served as a historical consultant and whiskey lecturer for distilleries across Ireland, worked as an independent bar staff educator, and currently volunteers on the committee of the Irish Whiskey Society. He has represented Irish whiskey before the European Union as an independent critic and written articles on Irish distilling for magazines across the industry. He lives in Dublin, where he divides his time between his postgraduate studies and the welcome wonders of a certain ginger alternative.